Specializing in Precision Press Brake Training and
Forming
More Articles from
TheFabricator.com
In Spanish
Articles by Steve Benson and published by
The Fabricator Magazine posted at::
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Reclaiming the disappearing press brake knowledge in your shop
Expensive options on a press brake won't guarantee
knowledge transfer from a veteran press brake operator
to a shop floor rookie. For knowledge transfer to occur,
a shop needs experienced workers that can communicate
and a younger work force eager to learn because they see
a future in metal...
Publish date:
January 14, 2010 |
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The tao of forming order
Is the starting position of the flat part facing the
wrong way or upside down to your natural flow? Are you
working from left to right when your natural motion is
right to left? If you are, you're fighting the current
rather than letting the current do the work. Set up the
press brake in such a...
Publish date:
June 12, 2007 |
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Taking the danger out of bottom bending
It is all too easy to ruin a tool or upset a ram if
bottom bending is done incorrectly, which is why many
manufacturers do not recommend bottom bending when using
their equipment or tooling. Understanding V-die
selection and the effects of your decisions should be
first and foremost in any...
Publish date:
March 7, 2006 |
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Say ye shibboleth!
Properly trained press brake operators understand the
nuances of tapers. Armed with this knowledge and
following a five-step process that includes inspecting
tooling and materials, precise setup, checking the part,
and making necessary adjustments, these skilled workers
can complete machine setup...
Publish date:
November 8, 2005 |
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Oversized V dies: the effects on bottom bending
Using oversized V dies in bottom bending can damage
press brakes and tooling, but used properly, these dies
can help compensate for springback.
Publish date:
August 9, 2005 |
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It's all about tool selection -- or is it?Publish date:
May 10, 2005 |
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Safety faux pasPublish date:
February 8, 2005 |
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Skilled workers make new press brake technology even more valuablePublish date:
September 14, 2004 |
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Air forming and V-die selectionPublish date:
May 4, 2004 |
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Building the perfect tool cabinet
Have you ever wondered about the best way to store your
press brake tooling? An expensive part of your press
brake operation, tooling is damaged enough just by daily
wear and tear and accidents. You don't want to damage it
further by storing it improperly.
Publish date:
March 25, 2004 |
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Why should you care about inside bend radii?
Operators, designers, and engineers, why should you care
about the inside bend radius if the customer doesn't?
Because, ultimately, just how easy or difficult it is to
produce a part depends on decisions made during the
design stage. Misunderstanding terminology, process
capabilities, or...
Publish date:
January 29, 2004 |
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John Henry's last challenge or a Rube Goldberg device?
Picking the right press brake has never been an easy
task and it continues to get harder all the time. New
hydraulic systems offer unbelievable control and
sophisticated hydraulic valving that were unimaginable
just a few short years ago.
Publish date:
September 10, 2003 |
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Die width selectionPublish date:
July 24, 2003 |
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Managers are not necessarily leaders
Often we are told that leadership is the key to the
success of any business or organization. What is
leadership? Is it the same as management? And what
separates would-be or so-so leaders from world-class
leaders?
Publish date:
June 26, 2003 |
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Making your own punch and dies
How many times have you looked through huge piles of
blueprints for a prototype part or short-run job and
thought, "If only I had that tool, this job would be a
piece of cake?"
Publish date:
May 29, 2003 |
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Gauging difficult parts at the press brake
Gone are the days when engineers and draftsmen slaved
for hours over drafting boards with a pencil and slide
rule in hand (does anyone remember slide rules?). Today
we've moved beyond slide rules and even beyond hand-held
calculators to personal computers and mainframes to do
much, if not all, of...
Publish date:
March 27, 2003 |
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How air forming works
Air forming began its rise in popularity during the mid-
to late 1970s, becoming the most prevalent method of
forming on a press brake.
Publish date:
February 13, 2003 |
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But we have always done it this wayPublish date:
December 12, 2002 |
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What the? This can't be done!
Carefully planning the forming order can make even the
most daunting project less complicated and problematic.
Publish date:
October 24, 2002 |
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Can I form a box that deep?
There's no reason you can't form sharp, deep boxes with
a press brake consistently. You just have to be familiar
with what your tooling can and can't do under certain
circumstances.
Publish date:
July 11, 2002 |
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Using benchmarking for bend deductions
Benchmarking is a very good idea for your operation ...
just make sure your benchmarks are your own.
Publish date:
May 30, 2002 |
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Bumping up large-radius bends
The step-bending method can be a good way to achieve
large radii without having to spend huge sums of money
on special tooling.
Publish date:
May 30, 2002 |
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Reviewing bottom bending and nested parts
Looking to nest parts tightly, but can't win the battle
against the material's natural grain? Take heart—bottom
bending could be your key to success.
Publish date:
April 15, 2002 |
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Press Brakes and (much) More
The flow of product through you shop is a key issue in
determining your prosperity as a business. Drawing a
little insight from the Chinese concept of feng shui
might help you achieve the kind of flow you're looking
for.
Publish date:
January 31, 2002 |
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Mobilizing equipment-saving time and talent
It's hard to believe that machines such as press brakes
and hardware-setting equipment can move around on wheels
or be moved by forklift and still function correctly.
But I can tell you from experience that it is true and
can be done.
Publish date:
November 29, 2001 |
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Fighting springback in profound radius bends
When bending sheet metal, three terms apply to the
radius of the bend: sharp, radius, and profound. A sharp
bend has a radius less than 63 percent of the material
thickness. A radius bend has a radius between 63 percent
and 10 times the material thickness. A profound radius
exceeds 10 times the...
Publish date:
September 17, 2001 |
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Bend deduction charts
Quite often I am asked, "Where can I get a bend
deduction chart that works, one with valid numbers?"
That's a good question.
Publish date:
July 26, 2001 |
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Discovering the limits of press brake tooling
One of the most important aspects of press brake forming
is tooling selection. What are the tools capable of?
What kinds of loads can they withstand?
Publish date:
May 30, 2001 |
